Scott Heinekamp

Professor of Physics; Coordinator of 3/2 Engineering Program

"My students and I agree that physics deals with very interesting questions, and that it has developed powerful tools for understanding nature at a deep level. We don't pursue physics because it's easy, or because it necessarily leads to lucrative careers, or because it's trendy. We're drawn to it because of the challenges it poses and because its success in describing the physical world is always exciting and, often enough, positively galvanizing."

Physics is an experimental science, driven by human interaction, backed up by provable and mathematically self-consistent theory. Professor Heinekamp tries to emphasize both aspects in his teaching. In his research, he strives to learn more about experimental techniques in collaboration with scientists doing x-ray diffraction work at Cornell University.